The seventh-grade class at Williams Middle School took a field trip recently to the town green to learn about the town's history.

In conjunction with the Longmeadow Historical Society, students and teachers received lectures and participated in games related to the town's history dating back to the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. This is the fourth year that students from Williams Middle School have taken the field trip.

According to Longmeadow Historical Society President Michael Gelinas and his daughter, Dr. Anna Gelinas, this field trip stemmed from a Cub Scout visit to the town green. Anna Gelinas is also a Spanish teacher at Williams Middle School.

"He (Michael Gelinas) did a talk about the green and the history of Longmeadow and we thought this should be a field trip for the kids in Longmeadow," said Anna Gelinas.

Students were broken up into groups at the beginning of the trip, which lasted from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Each group was accompanied by a teacher. Groups rotated to different sites in 25-minute sessions. Sites included the Storrs Library, the Storrs House, the First Church and its cemetery, and various historical houses on the green.

"We talked about the houses and when they were built, and what they were made of," said seventh-grade math teacher Kathy Lawson.

"We thought in terms of learning stations. We've tried to make it more kid-friendly," said Michael Gelinas.

Topics covered included Longmeadow history, architecture of the different houses and different styles of headstones. Historical Society member Elliot Levy also gave the students a lecture on Lt. Howard Burnham while re-enacting him. Burnham, a Longmeadow native, fought and died in the Civil War.

Children played 18th- and 19th-century style games, such as sack races and tug of war.

Teachers from Williams Middle School always say that the field trip had a positive effect on their students.

"They seem to really like it. They always seem to have a lot of questions and come away learning something new," said Anna Gelinas.